The Reluctant Prince (Revised)
by karyn78
Summary: Prince Edward of Kingdom Belli finds himself in a diplomatic engagement to a woman of his very worst nightmare. But the happiest moments in our lives are often embedded in the silver linings of our unhappiness. Can Edward find his? (Revision of my original story.) Canon, AU, ExB
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello, loves! Brief introduction, my name is Karyn. I have written fanfiction before, but haven't in about 5 years. This story right here is actually a rewrite of my previous one - but a much better version. **

**Um, quick overview. This story is set in a Game of Thrones type setting - meaning there are several different kingdoms trying to work in tandem. However, I have not stolen anything else from there besides that so don't get too excited for dragons. The first two kingdoms introduced in this chapter are Bellum and Pax. You will see them written differently - i.e. Belli and Pacis - because they are Latin words and I have chosen to keep the Latin conjugations. So: "kingdom Belli" means kingdom of Bellum, and so on. **

**I am still a relatively green writer, so please bear with me. I do have a beta and between the two of us, we are trying to keep the mistakes to a tolerable level and make it as legible and enjoyable as possible. So please enjoy The Reluctant Prince and welcome to my world. :) ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

** EPOV **

I lied in bed above the covers, my face pressed into the pillow, and reveled in comfort and content. Turning my head to the side, I spoke to Jasper on the thoughts that jostled around in my mind.

"Tell me why I should trade the comfort of my bed and fortress of my room at such an ungodly hour of the morning? Nothing is worth this."

"You are to meet Princess Tanya in less than an hour," Jasper responded with a smirk.

"And who is she again?"

"Your betrothed, Prince Edward. The firstborn of King Charles and Queen Renee Swan of the Kingdom Belli."

"Are you speaking of the kingdom that declares war first and dispatches diplomats at a later, inconsequential point?" "Yes," he said with a concerned look. "Your parents are hoping that the marriage will tie the two kingdoms - Pacis and Belli - together. The union will strengthen our kingdom as well as protect it from Belli's own swords. You and Tanya are essentially the knot meant to do this."

"But why her? From all the tales I've heard of her, she is nothing greater than a royal slut. Why can father not see that? Why must I suffer through a marriage and children who will most likely not even be mine?" Jasper nodded. As my closest advisor and my trusted friend, he knew me better than most; he knew I would be miserable in this marriage, but he also knew I would endure it silently. I am a prince, after all. I do as my king commands.

"Edward, you will have to bear it," he said, having echoed my own thoughts, "for now. Your father will not go through with it. You know he wants you to be happy - he will most likely allow you to marry any maiden you fancy." He grinned at me, and I smirked back. We both knew that I detested the idea of marriage and abhorred all the entitled ladies of the court who threw themselves at me for my title.

"That maiden will have to sprinkle a love potion over all the food I eat and everything I touch before I will give her a second glance. I will never touch any of the harlots who go around shagging each man they lay eyes on with the prospect of wealth."

Jasper clutched his chest and feigned shock. "Such vulgar language for the prince of Pax to use! What would your father say?"

I rolled over and sat up straight in bed, miming the throne. "He would say, 'Son,'" I started in my best kingly manner, "it is unbecoming of a prince to use such words in such a tone. Please apologize to the harlot, lend her proper clothes to cover her bosom, and shoo her off to...'" my voice trailed off as Jasper and I both rolled in laughter. Jasper opened his mouth through chokes of laughter to answer when there was a sure and steady rap at my door. Having assumed it was a servant to empty the chamber pot and fix the room, I called out for them to enter.

In walked a maid, short in stature with equally short and spiky hair. Though her face was the epitome of timid servitude, her dark eyes seemed to smile at the both of us as she danced her way over and curtsied in front of me. "Your Highness the Queen wished for me to tell you that Princess Tanya of Bellum has arrived and requests an audience with you," she stated in a high, clear voice that contradicted her status. I raised my eyebrow and looked towards Jasper, intending to share a look of surprise with my friend. However, I found him staring intently at the young maid still low in a graceful curtsy.

Smiling, I turned back and bid her to rise. "Tell her majesty I will be there in a minute and - wait, where are you going?" I added as she started walking away.

"Well," she started, "I thought you were finished and I knew you were going to tell me to t-tell the queen that you needed some time to prepare yourself for the Princess." After the quick tremor in her voice, her chin shot up, defiant as ever. Again, my eyebrows rose as Jasper stifled his laugh into a cough.

"Pray tell, my dear maid," Jasper said in a near condescending tone, "how did you know that?"

"Well your majesty," pointedly turning her body and speaking to me, "Princess Isabella fancies I have powers beyond our natural world that allows me to see into the future." She smirked at me then. "However, my esteemed prince, you are still in your undergarments which leads me to believe you need a few minutes to prepare." My cheeks reddened and I struggled to pull the bedcovers more firmly across my body as Jasper roared loudly in laughter, hunched over on the floor like a man far below his station.

I snapped at him.

"Jasper Whitlock, shall I tell Commanding Officer Dale Whitlock that his son and heir is behaving more common than the maid in the room?" He shook his head at me, mirth written clearly across his face even as he forced his features to a more dignified expression and stood at full height, bowing deeply in front of me with as much pomp and circumstance as he could muster.

"Shall I send Alice to tell Princess Tanya to meet you in your chambers? I know how much you look forward to seeing her here." He lewdly waggled his eyebrows at me and Alice's dainty laugh joined his obnoxious one in tandem, musically mocking me.

"I will make sure you lose your station, Alice!"

"Princess Isabella would have your head!" She replied heatedly.

In shock, I floundered and sputtered for words. "Do you not remember who you're speaking to? I will have your head."

"No you won't," she said with a smirk. "You love me too much to harm me. Or you will, at least." She bounced off but turned at the door, then looked with a wink at Jasper. "So will you, my lord." She left.

Jasper stared after her, his mouth hung open in shock. I'm sure my face was a mirror image of his. "She is certainly something," I said quietly. Jasper nodded.

A thought dawned on me from something Alice said earlier. I jumped out of bed and ran to stand in front of Jasper, forcing his thoughts away from the outspoken maid. Still in my undergarments, my hair a mess and my eyes wide in panic, I'm sure I looked nothing like the prince I knew myself to be. Drawing a long and frustrated breath, I expressed my thought to Jasper.

"Who in the bloody hell is Princess Isabella?"

**Good start? If you deem it so and worthy, pleads leave comments of your thoughts and suggestions as well! I am open to anything and will indeed credit you with any brilliant ideas I hadn't thought of myself. You are welcome to read the original story, if you like, to see where most of the beginning chapters originate. **

**Anyways, thank you for reading! I will attempt updating a chapter a week, so see you next Friday! **

**~Karyn **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, my kind-hearted and beyond faithful and forgiving followers. I am quite awful at updating….I apologize for that. School has been very stressful and time consuming lately - thank god I am done! I'm going to have to lower your expectations a bit (as if I hadn't already done that) from every week to maybe every two weeks (which will hopefully be enforced by my beta). Anyways please enjoy the re-written chapter two!**

I sat contentedly in my plump chair, back slumped and legs bent at the knees, wantonly displaying my ankles as my mother would say. A lock of my dull brown hair remained clamped between my teeth as I read quietly in my little library.

The rest of the castle was busy bustling about preparing to join my sister and aid in the enormity of the imminent wedding. But I was content to lie here and forget my worries - to become lost in a fantastical world where princesses made their own choices and became queens in their own right with no need of a king.

But of course that was just fantasy.

My sister's wedding stirred no great urgency within me; as far as I was concerned, it was of little consequence in real value, but rather, and I suppose this spoke volumes of my own character, an ostentatious nuisance that will, hopefully, remove my sister's annoyance from my life if not for good, then for a decent amount of time. Of course I understood what the marriage is truly intended to do - most likely better than Tanya herself. It would unite Pax and Bellum, and strengthen us further against the other kingdoms. (Although I have my suspicions the marriage was arranged to protect Pax itself from our own mighty swords.)

However unreasonable I seemed in this moment of brief piousness, I knew in my heart I had a great deal of reason to feel this way. My sister had never been, and will never be, a true sister to me. From the very first memory I can recall, my sister had seized every possibility to harm me and make me feel lesser. Again and again I have tried to befriend Tanya and reached out to her through my world of books and fascination of knowledge; again and again she has scorned me for the love of clothes, money, and the admiration of men (the term "men" being used loosely for want of something more fitting to address the wretched disgust they inspire in me).

But I digress.

For once, I was allowed peace and time for myself - no mother to pick and prune at me, no father to demand I put down the book and amuse myself with silly little girly games, and no Alice to pull me through the castle into all manners of things my parents would disapprove of.

I frowned slightly and closed the book. I caressed the cover as my mind drifted to thoughts of my closest and dearest friend, my one true sister. I had sent her along with Tanya to Pax in order to help Queen Esme with any sort of thing she would need - although I'm not so sure I really had sent her, or if she somehow tricked me into believing I had as she is oh so very capable of doing.

My attention having been completely wrapped up in thoughts of what my friend may be doing at that moment, I did not register the tap-tap-tap on the door before noticing Alice's younger brother, Seth, standing in front of me.

I leapt to a sitting position on the chair and hurriedly attempted a more respectful and regal position upright. Of course with myself having no coordination whatsoever, the heel of my right foot caught the folds of my skirt and I slid down the chair, only stopping when Seth's hands flew to steady me.

He had caught me around my waist and hoisted me up and onto my feet. In this position my, the front of my body was pressed up against his and my hands lay on his chest. His hands were still positioned around my waist and I noticed I had to lean back much farther than usual in order to look into his suddenly wide, deep brown eyes. When the blood rushed to his face and he looked down, I finally recognized the situation we were in.

We needed to separate, and quickly, before an errant servant girl innocently walking past the room caught sight of the damning image. Pulling back, I clasped my hands together in front of my skirts and looked anywhere but at him, nodding absentmindedly when he bowed.

He cleared his throat and spoke. "Princess," he started shakily, "a letter has arrived for you from Alice. I think it must be urgent for her to have sent it so soon after arriving. Will you…?"

I smiled reassuringly at him. "Of course I will let you know if it is anything of concern."

He nodded to me, and left with one more blush and a distinct lack of a bow. As the two of us had grown close over the years due to Alice and mine's relationship, all pomp and circumstance had ceased to exist between the two of us alone. It spoke to the strange sense of discomfort between us two that he had deemed it necessary to bow to me earlier. I wondered at his weird countenance as I opened the letter.

_Dear Bella, _

_Everything here is so extravagant. It is so beautiful, I can not wait for you to see it. The queen is so nice and welcoming, I think I might leave you for her! I have met the prince and I have to say, he is quite a handsome fellow. No wonder your sister, Tanya, was so anxious to meet him. He is quite charming and quick, but his adviser is…wow. I do not know what to say about him. His name is Jasper and he is tall, blonde, blue-eyed, and altogether gorgeous. I can already see that we will end up together. I told him so, but he did not believe me - he quite insulted my psychic powers! _

I laughed quietly. Poor bloke. He probably didn't know which way was up and which was down when she was finished! I shook my head. Alice and her need to inform people on every aspect of their lives before they even knew it never stopped to entertain me.

_I was there when your sister met the prince. He did not seem to like her much. I wonder if he has heard any of the stories about her? If he did, she certainly did not disprove any of them. The way she was coming onto him was quite vulgar, you know. I almost threw up when she rubbed her fat bosom against him. If I'm correct, and I nearly always am, he wanted to throw up too! I outright laughed when he had to shove her off of him so he could go "get some rest." Most likely he was in the bathroom emptying the contents of his breakfast. _

I laughed again. Of course he would run. Even though she was quite beautiful, she had the tendency to drive off good men with her forwardness.

_Was it wrong that I laughed? Should I have respectively turned that laugh into a dainty cough? I think not! Even though she just might kill me now, your sister deserves a slap in the face. I know, I know I must be wrong. But you know it, and I know you will agree. _

I laughed and nodded. She knew me too well.

_Well I must be leaving. I am to assist the other servants in preparing next week's feast. Can you believe they wanted a whole feast to honor your slutty sister? I'm sorry, I mustn't say these things. But I can't help myself from saying the truth. I will see you in two weeks when you arrive. I know you want nothing to do with the prince, but you will meet him. I 'm sure that you to will adore each other. _

I rolled my eyes. Of course we will "adore" each other.

_Sweet dreams, Bells. And don't forget to bring your blue dress! I shall be cross with you if you don't. _

_Yours Truly, _

_-Alice _

I folded the letter and walked over to put it in my desk. I was just about to get ready for supper when I suddenly got an idea. I called for Seth immediately.

"Yes Princess?" he said as he appeared in my doorway. Turning around and beginning to pack, I spoke to him.

"Will you tell my father that I want to leave early? I must surprise Alice after the letter she sent. If we leave immediately, we can make it there for the feast in a week."

"I want to ask a few questions, if I may, Princess?" I turned to see him raising his eyebrow at me. I nodded at him to continue. "Why are you in such a rush? If we leave on schedule we should arrive there in a fortnight. And why must you surprise Alice? Is the servant not supposed to be serving the princess - not the other way around?" he questioned snidely.

I stiffened and glared at him. I hardly ever get mad at him, but sometimes he seemed to forget his station.

"You know Alice has been like a sister to me ever since we were children. If I dare say so, she has been a much better sister to me than my actual sister has. And why should I not surprise her and come early? She has written to me of splendid beauty in Pax and I want to go and experience it myself. Is that so bad?"

A slightly green look crossed his features. "And is one of those 'splendid beauties' by any chance, Prince Edward?" I blushed furiously at that. How dare he think that I would jump just to meet some arrogant prince?

I turned away from him. "Tell my father that I want to leave right now. And not a word to anyone about this discussion."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he said. I almost turned around, but I didn't. Proceeding to pack and looking around the room to see if I missed anything, I spoke again.

"Leave now, Seth. As I said, I want to be there by tonight's feast." I was met with silence. I turned to the door and found that he had already gone.

I sighed. This trip might be the death of me.

**So review, yeah? :)**

**-Karyn**


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